At 90, Cantonian credits faith for long life and unshakable joy

Special to The Canton News 

At 90 years old, Mother Mollie Ross is not just marking time — she’s declaring purpose. In a personal essay titled “I’m 90 — and I’m Glad to Be Alive!”, Ross reflects on the spiritual convictions and Biblical promises she says have sustained her across generations of family and faith.

“If you want to live long, you’ve got to obey God,” she writes, citing scriptures and personal revelations that form what she calls her “Covenant of Long Life, Obedience, and Blessing.” Her testimony, a mix of encouragement and exhortation, emphasizes God’s faithfulness and the power of speaking life through words.

Ross draws heavily from biblical examples, comparing her own journey to that of Sarah and Abraham. 

“If you claim Abraham’s blessing, will you claim his years, too?” she recalls the Holy Spirit asking her. Her answer: a resounding yes. 

Quoting Genesis, Psalms, and Proverbs, she asserts that long life is not only possible but promised to those who live by faith.

Her message also critiques modern church culture. 

“Too many church folks today are confused,” Ross laments, urging unity and love over division. “This fight ain’t about jealousy, hate or church hurt. It’s about souls.”

The matriarch, who raised sons and daughters as a single mother, says her family is her daily testimony. 

“My children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and spiritual children remember me and visit me,” she writes. “I am here to share in and see the blessing and favor of God in their lives in my old age! I am not alone.”

In June 2025, loved ones from across the country gathered to celebrate her 90th birthday — a moment she describes as “joy unspeakable.” She credits her longevity not just to faith, but to the spoken word: “No matter what it looks like, speak life. Only speak life.”

Ross closes her reflection with a promise she intends to keep: “I shall live. I shall not die. I will finish the number of my days by God’s grace in strength, in peace, in health, and in the blessing and favor of the Lord.”

Her voice—firm, faithful, and filled with gratitude—resounds as both testimony and call to action for generations behind her: choose life, speak life and live it fully.